Why is KPU so slow?

The General Elections Commission (KPU), whose vote-counting has been painfully slow, seems to be at a loss as to how to improve its operations. The commission, which was responsible for all the preparations for the June 7 general election, has been criticized for its many shortcomings.

Now even more people are lashing out at the commission for its painfully slow ballot counting. Some KPU members say that sluggishness is the order of the day among regional election committees. The commission has appealed to the public to understand that those involved in the counting in the regions are not professionals; nor have been adequately trained.

Organizing the election, which came about after the sudden downfall of president Soeharto in 1998, was done under great pressure because many political observers believed any delay would cause extra problems for the nation.

This caused everything to be done in a great hurry, including the formation of political parties.

Ambitious politicians made things even more difficult by setting up political entities with no regard for political platforms and ignoring changes in society.

The KPU should now take responsibility for the problems that are causing the announcement of the final tabulation to be repeatedly postponed.

Reports on Thursday said the KPU had ordered the Indonesian Elections Committee (PPI) to postpone the national vote tabulation until the KPU issued a decree to set the date for the process to begin. But PPI vice chairman Djuhad Mahja rejected the idea, saying there was no legal basis for the order because the decision was made outside normal procedure. "It is a product of an emotional situation," he said.

The controversy appears comical, but it is very real.

Despite the slowness, the KPU is clearly involved in a comedy of errors in which almost no complaints or irregularities are fairly settled. The commission also was recently accused of misusing funds. And in some provinces, political parties have complained about money politics and other violations involving a "certain party". The party to which most of the suspicion is targeted is Golkar, president Soeharto's former election machine.

However, the weakness of the commission lies in its members. KPU consists of representatives of the 48 political parties, the majority of whom most Indonesians deigned to ignore in the polls. Although these "extras" in the national blockbuster called the general election appear to be of minor significance, they command a high profile within the KPU.

Another report claims the commission sacrificed an important agenda in its plenary session after members of the lesser parties stormed it. The session had been planned to discuss the final tabulation of the votes, alleged corruption within KPU and reports of irregularities.

Representatives of the small parties, which won hardly any House seats in the recent polls, were objecting to statements they found insulting made by KPU vice chairman Adnan Buyung Nasution and member Andi Alfian Mallarangeng. The two, speaking in a personal capacity, suggested that political parties which failed to garner at least 2 percent of House seats should no longer be allowed to sit on the commission.

Some political observers claim the statements were logical and that the parties overreacted.

Many of the small parties seem to be oversensitive lately, especially after realizing they have no hope of gaining House seats. But, regretfully, their sour mood is having a dismally negative impact on the KPU's performance.